Winnipeg Jets head coach Claude Noel turns in his list for the shootout against the St. Louis Blues to referee Ian Walsh during NHL action at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Man., on Fri., Oct. 18, 2013. Kevin King/Winnipeg Sun/QMI Agency

Kevin King/Winnipeg Sun/QMI Agency

Claude Noel was fired on Jan. 12 and the Jets immediately named Paul Maurice as his successor, though he basically signed on until the end of the season, with no guarantee he would be sticking around.

sun photo/Winnipeg Sun/Qmi Agenc

Winnipeg Jets head coach Claude Noel has words for his troops during an NHL exhibition game against the Boston Bruins on Sept. 26, 2013 at MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Man. KEVIN KING/Winnipeg Sun/QMI Agency

KEVIN KING/Winnipeg Sun/QMI Agency

Winnipeg Jets head coach Claude Noel speaks to goaltender Ondrej Pavelec late in the game against the St. Louis Blues during NHL action at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Man., on Fri., Oct. 18, 2013. Kevin King/Winnipeg Sun/QMI Agency

Dec 27, 2013; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Winnipeg Jets head coach Claude Noel talks to his players during a timeout against the Minnesota Wild during the third period at MTS Centre. The Jets beat the Wild 6-4. Mandatory Credit: Fred Greenslade-USA TODAY Sports

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After the Jets looked disinterested in a 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff contacted Paul Maurice to find out if he was interested in coming to Winnipeg. Maurice said yes.

After the Jets gave up four goals in the first nine minutes of the second period on Saturday night in a 6-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, Cheveldayoff pulled the trigger. On Sunday morning he fired head coach Claude Noel and assistant coach Perry Pearn, at the same time installing Maurice as the team’s second bench boss since they moved from Atlanta in May 2011.

The Jets never made the playoffs under Noel and were remarkably inconsistent. They are last in the Central Division with a 19-23-5 record, and they're the sixth worst team in the NHL. Their current five-game regulation losing streak, which ties for the longest skid since the Thrashers flew north, was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

“It’s not just the last two games,” Cheveldayoff said. “It’s the consistency factor. And we always asked ourselves internally, Claude and myself: why .500? Why one ahead, one back, two ahead, two back?

“It’s going to continue to be talked about until we get it going in the right direction. Will further changes have to be made? Sure. Now it’s trying to figure out what is going to be the best direction.”

Maurice, who at the moment is under contract only until the end of the season, was scheduled to fly into Winnipeg on Sunday night and meet with the team for the first time on Monday morning. He will be behind the bench on Monday night when the Jets try to end their losing streak against the Phoenix Coyotes at MTS Centre.

“Hiring Paul Maurice is something that we feel very good about as far as the opportunity that we have to hire an experienced National Hockey League coach to come in here and begin putting his stamp on the team and also on the evaluation process that we’re all going to be going trough.”

Veteran centre Olli Jokinen felt the Jets have been playing scared lately and the Blue Jackets took advantage of that on Saturday night.

“All of us should be embarrassed that we’re at the point where we have to change the coach,” Jokinen said Sunday morning at MTS Iceplex, where Cheveldayoff addressed the players before they had an off-ice workout.

Noel, who became Winnipeg’s first head coach after the franchise moved from Atlanta in May 2011, compiled a record of 80-79-18 during his two-and-a-half years behind the bench. Nothing seemed to be working for him lately, and it looked like his message wasn’t being heard.

“That’s part of sometimes what happens,” captain Andrew Ladd said. “Things get stale, and it’s part of what Chevy is trying to do here, is shake things up and get everyone in this room going. As a player, you have to look yourself in the mirror first and figure out what you have to do to get better and help this group.”

Cheveldayoff admitted he didn’t do enough to give Noel a chance for success.

“If I’m being honest, I would say no,” said Cheveldayoff, who has signed, to long-term contracts, many core members of a franchise that has never won a playoff game.

Cheveldayoff gave Noel a one-year contract extension prior to this season, which wasn’t exactly a rousing endorsement, but it was understandable considering the Jets didn’t make the playoffs in their first two seasons. Then again, Noel is just a long line in a list of players who failed to get the Thrashers/Jets franchise to the post-season. The organization has made it to the playoffs just once since it was incorporated in 1999.

The 46-year-old Maurice has a career record of 431-424-159 in 14 seasons as an NHL head coach. He got the Hurricanes to the 2002 Stanley Cup final and won a pair of Southeast Division crowns, but his teams missed the playoffs in eight of his 14 seasons.

“Paul is someone that has good experience at the NHL level,” Cheveldayoff said. “He’s coached a lot of different types of teams. He’s had experience with both veteran players and young players and has had success with both. … Someone with a lot of experience will be invaluable to us, as we continue to evaluate what we have here and what changes might be necessary.”

Assistant coaches Charlie Huddy and Pascal Vincent will remain with the club.